Q and A’s regarding the RBS (One Account) Solicitor Panel from members of the public
Am I correct in assuming that the fact that my solicitor is not on the RBS (One Account) Conveyancing panel that there is a problem with the quality of his work?
It would not be wise to jump to that conclusion. There are all sorts of perfectly reasonable explanations. A recent report by the solicitors regulator indicated 76% of law firms surveyed had been removed from at least one lender panel. The top 3 reasons are as follows: (1) lack of transactions (2) the lawyer is a sole practitioner (3) as part of the HSBC panel reduction (4) regulatory contact by SRA (5) accidental removal. If you are concerned you should simply call the firm and ask them why they are no longer on the approved list for RBS (One Account).
My son-in-law is about to exchange on a house that has just been built with a mortgage from RBS (One Account). His conveyancer has said that there is a delay in completing the ‘Disclosure of Incentive Form’. This document is news to me - what is it and who needs sight of it?
The document is intended to provide information to the main parties involved in the purchase. Therefore, it will be provided to your son’s lawyer who should be on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel as a standard part of the process, and to the valuer when asked.
The Developer will be required to start the process by downloading the form and completing it.
The form will therefore need to be available for the valuer at the time of his or her site visit. The form should be sent to the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel solicitor as early as possible, in order to avoid any last minute delays, and no later than at exchange of contracts.
I have been looking for online conveyancing estimates. Can I be confident that all the firms that are identified on your directory are on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel?
The solicitor and licensed conveyancing practices listed on our site have advised us that they are on the RBS (One Account) panel and agreed to advise us to take down their listing in the event of removal off of the RBS (One Account) panel. To date we have not been informed by either a mortgage company or a member of the public that the data about a specific firm being on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel is not accurate.
I would like to get my ex-wife taken off the mortgage deeds. Can RBS (One Account) really insist on which solicitor I can or can not use?
You can use any solicitor you like but RBS (One Account) then has the right to appoint a different solicitor to act for them at your expense. It might be more cost effective and quicker to instruct a lawyer who is on the RBS (One Account) solicitors panel
I have had an offer accepted on a apartment I spoke to a lawyer recommended by my mum and he suggested using a property lawyers approved by RBS (One Account). The estate agent recommended two local firms so I asked RBS (One Account) if the 2 suggested solicitors are approved, which they are not. RBS (One Account) suggested that either firm can fill out the appropriate forms to become approved. Do I (1) save myself the aggravation and use one of RBS (One Account) 's conveyancing panel solicitors (2) Use the local solicitor and accept there may be delays etc as they go through the approval process.
Enquire of RBS (One Account) to suggest a law firm in your location. Most banks have lawyers on their panel throughout the UK. You can also use our search tool at the top of this page to search for a lawyer on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel based on location. If you particularly like the sound of one of the local lawyers that you have spoken to ask them if they would go onto RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel as it may only take about 2-3 weeks. As long as they meet RBS (One Account)’s requirements it can be a very simple job for the solicitor. Other stuff will be going on in parallel (as you are at an early stage) so it may not delay matters.
I recently had an offer accepted on an apartment. My mortgage broker suggested a solicitor I paid an upfront payment of 200. Soon after the conveyancers contacted me sheepishly admitting that they were not on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel. Am I right in thinking that I should be due a refund?
You should be able to recover this from the law firm if they were not on the RBS (One Account) panel. They should have asked at the outset which lender you were obtaining a mortgage with. An important lesson to readers of this site is to check that the lawyers are on the appropriate lender panel.
I have instructed a lawyer having made sure that they are on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel. Does my lawyer arrange the survey of the property?
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I've read lots of house buying,I note that they all recommend that you should get your house surveyed prior to buying it. When I asked my solicitor - who is on the RBS (One Account) conveyancing panel - on this she said they don't do this and I need to contract an independent surveyor. is that correct?
RBS (One Account) will need an independent valuation of the property. Your lawyer will not arrange this. Usually RBS (One Account) will appoint their own surveyor to do this, and you will have to pay for it. Remember that this is a valuation for mortgage purposes and not a survey.
You may wish to consider appointing your own surveyor to carry out a survey or prepare a home buyers report on the property. It is up to you to satisfy yourself that the property is structurally sound before you buy it. If the survey or report reveals that building work is needed, you should tell your solicitor. You may wish to renegotiate with the seller.
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Your lawyer will not organise the survey but they may be able to put you in touch with a local one that they recommend. RICS offers a find a surveyor service (just google it) where you can search for a qualified surveyor by postcode. As you are getting a mortgage with RBS (One Account) you could contact your them to see if they have a list of approved surveyors.